by JENNIFER 8. LEE and KATE HAMMER
A fire raged through a Bronx auto parts business yesterday evening, spewing black smoke that could be seen from as far away as New Jersey, setting dozens of cars ablaze and delaying train traffic along the Northeast Corridor for several hours.
More than 130 firefighters, two suffering minor injuries, battled the fire for several hours beginning shortly before 6 p.m. One resident from the area was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene but there were no serious injuries, fire officials said. The cause of the fire was being investigated.
The three-alarm fire fire created a dramatic scene during the evening commute, as the flames could be seen from the elevated MetroNorth and subway lines that cut through the Bronx.
The blaze was mostly contained to Apex Auto Parts, which is just off the shore of the Bronx River near 172nd Street, although dozens of people in nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. Ronald Maio, who said his family has owned the auto parts yard for four decades, said he spotted the fire around 5:45 p.m in a storage area. He tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher, and then left to get another extinguisher, but when he returned, the fire was out of control.
"It was smoking for a while," said Edmundo Martinez, 26, who was among those evacuated. "There was a half hour or 45 minutes of black smoke. Next thing you know, there were flames, and they were pretty high." Mr. Martinez said that he went toward the fire to move a neighbor's car. "The heat was so bad, I had to crouch down," he said. "It felt like when you open the oven."
The fire engulfed cars, which were stacked as many as three high. Neighbors described a series of loud popping noises, which appeared to be the cars exploding.
While the flames did not reach nearby houses, some homes were damaged from the water, smoke and heat, fire officials said.Eight Amtrak trains along the Northeast Corridor were delayed for several hours, including one train headed for Boston that was sent back to Pennsylvania Station.
Many of the residents said they were concerned by the dark smoke, which carried residues of the plastics and rubber that were in the car lot.
"There's all kind of hazards, so we are trying to keep a distance while fighting the fire," said Michael Weinlein, a fire chief. He said several cars still had gas in their tanks. "This is a real stubborn fire," he said.
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